Like soldiers, old comics never die … they just fade away.

Unless you have amazing comic book friends, that is!

Once again, the mysterious and unfailingly-generous Mars Will Send No More has bequeathed me a care package of comics!

Mars has done this in the past, but opening a package from one of my oldest blogging pals is always a delight. I had a sense that some Defenders books were in the offing, thanks to a comment Mars had left here at the blog, but this thick package promised four-color treasures unknown!

Within … a note!

Sgt. Rock! Yes! I’ve written of Rock with affection, but had only a few Sgt. Rock books in my Accumulation. No longer!

In addition to Sgt. Rock, Mars’ marvelous missive contained a couple Charlton books, an early Shade the Changing Man by Steve Ditko, and a well-loved copy of Marvel Feature #1 — the debut of the dynamic Defenders!

By the weekend I had everything bagged, boarded, entered into my computer database, and filed away in my new longboxes. Yes, my Accumulation is very nearly a Collection, and rather than going atop a stack for later consideration (as has always before been the case), new arrivals of old comics here at Longbox Graveyard Secret HQ are now processed in the blink of an eye! Quite a departure from the jumbled mess of comics I found so burdensome when I started this blog, nearly three years ago!

And so these old comics, about old soldiers, will not fade away, but instead reside in eternal glory at Longbox Graveyard! My sincerest thanks to Mars for his ongoing support and generosity, and to all the many readers who have accompanied me on this comics blogging odyssey! More to come!